Publication sponsored by Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Development & Reform Commission of Beijing Municipality, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (Beijing Sub-Council)

Old Name, New Experience

2006/04/14text by Chen Nan

Peking roast duck is a signature dish in China's capital
city, but there's more than one way to roast a duck, and that
has opened a door to competition in a field that is hotly
contested by some of Beijing's most famous Time Honoured Brands
(laozihao).

One of these is 600-year-old Bianyifang, a Peking roast duck
restaurant with a difference, located on Chongwenmen Dajie near
the Hademen Hotel in Chongwen District.

But what is the difference?

The Peking roast duck tradition is divided into two schools,
roast duck made using a "closed" oven (where the heat radiates
from inner-oven walls) and roast duck made using "half-open"
ovens (where the duck is hung over a heating source such as a
wood fire). Unlike some of its famous competitors, Bianyifang's
product is representative of the closed-oven type; its taste is
easily recognizable by experienced Beijingers. It is made
without using an open fire, and involves a specially made soup
that fills the duck while it's cooking. That is, the duck
roasts outside and boils inside during the cooking process. Tan
outside and tender inside, fat, but not greasy, closed-oven
roast ducks enjoy a reputation as a green food. That is the
major reason why Bianyifang is considered irreplaceable and has
survived during its long history in China.

Beijing's laozihao restaurants, whatever their products or
methods, seem to transcend the marketing chaos of modern food
service chains. Their names are instantly recognizable,
durable, and epitomize quality. These are super brands, and
when one thinks kaoya (Peking roast duck), names like
Bianyifang are the ones that come to mind.

It is said that eating roast duck in Beijing is like
attending a fine symphony. Peking roast duck symbolizes the
ancient capital city much in the same way that Coca-Cola evokes
an identity with the United States wherever it is served.

For kaoya lovers, an evening at Bianyifang is a treasured
experience, where people engage in fine dining, instead of
stuffing themselves with microwaved fast foods. You have to be
patient to savour a famous Peking roast duck, and it eating
should be regarded as a grand occasion.

A proper presentation of the duck is an important part of
the evening. You will never see Beijingers digging into a fine
roast duck, tearing the leg or wings off with abandon, which is
an injustice to the duck and the roast duck tradition.

Instead, a skilled chef clad in a pure white gown, smiling,
will elegantly and swiftly slice the duck into bite-sized
pieces, featuring just the right amount of skin and meat. Like
snowflakes, they are piled on a clean porcelain plate and
readied for you.

But at Bianyifang, before you begin eating, you should hear
a story about the legacy of Bianyifang.

A part of the story is revealed in the Chinese pinyin name
for the restaurant. 便宜坊, bianyifang, is sometimes mistakenly
called as pianyifang. The original meaning is "convenient and
pleasant," while the latter implies "inexpensive" or even
"cheap." Though the "mistake" has been passed down through the
years to today, it has always kept Beijingers from forgetting
its name, Bianyifang, or its place in their lives.

But what now of this tried and trusted old brand name?

Any successful brand must cause customers to seek an
affinity with it. Advertising geniuses, chief executives, and
retail experts point to complex strategies involving identity,
creativity, quality, the nature of its investments and, above
all, a magical relationship with the customers.

This has been achieved by Bianyifang, but it's the future
that concerns Beijing Bianyifang Roast Duck President Lei
Guoxiu, who must ensure that the old laozihao adjusts to
popular tastes and the evolving desires of weight- and
health-conscious young people.

The company began to adapt by absorbing the Hademen Hotel
and Xianda Dietetic Company, two powerful, State-owned
companies, into the Beijing Bianyifang Roasting Duck Group
Company in 2002.

Since Lei took the company's helm, she has worked hard to
maintain the firm's customer base, while probing the youth
market. She said she realized that without innovation there
would be neither development nor vitality. Over the years, the
Bianyifang Restaurant has created new dishes to meet the tastes
of its wide range of customers. There are now Bianyifang branch
restaurants throughout the country and the group offers local
dishes from various localities in addition to its famous
Beijing specialties.

To cater to young customers, Bianyifang has applied for a
patent for its newly developed "vegetable-flavoured crispy
roast duck" dish.

According to Lei, the vegetable-flavoured crispy roast duck
is healthier and lighter than the original, "according with the
tastes of young people." The patent was sought to ensure the
authenticity of the company's products and to protect the
traditional catering culture to which Bianyifang belongs.

This was also the case in Beijing's flourishing, upscale,
ultramodern Haidian District, where Bianyifang in 2006 sought a
share of a market dominated by famous-name, upscale brands.

"That is a good way to maintain the glory and charm of our
laozihao," Lei said. Her confidence has paid off; during the
first half of 2005, Bianyifang restaurant sales doubled.

Becoming a super brand requires a thorough understanding of
marketing. Bianyifang's philosophy extends brand identity
concepts to a holistic use of advertising, shop layouts and
products blended together to create a special business
personality.

"A brand has to have its own DNA, perhaps even one that's
designed."

However, even when the hearts and eyes of the public have
been captured, the work of a super brand has only just begun.
Its identity needs to be nurtured, protected and targeted at
specific customers on a daily basis.

In today's fast-changing world, millions of new names enter
market every year. But to break into the realm of deeply rooted
super brands, these newcomers will have to consistently prove
their value and authenticity to consumers.

This is one obstacle that Beijing's laozihao have cleared,
with their proud traditions and continuing legends.